What Your Client’s Eyes Reveal: A Salesperson’s Guide to Reading Body Language

Pupils tell a story.

Beyond blinking, you also want to look at the client’s pupils.

It’s a simple trick that’ll help you spot the telltale signs of deception.

Even if somebody has mastery over other aspects of their body language, they can’t control their pupils.

When their pupils dilate and get bigger, it’s usually a sign that they’re either scared or interested.

Which one depends on the other gestures their body makes. Again, it comes down to reading the whole picture.

But coming back to the pupils, this information comes from Dr Paul Ekman. He’s a Harvard-based psychologist who’s the foremost authority on reading people’s facial expressions.

According to an article on The Ekman Group website:

“Dilated pupils are another indication of tension and concentration. This can show up both when liars are thinking hard and when they’re feeling anxious.”

However, he also stresses that dilated pupils could also mean that they’re overthinking details due to their anxiety. They could still be telling you the truth, even if their pupils suggest otherwise.

This is why so many world-class poker players wear dark glasses. They don’t want anybody to read what’s going on with them based on how their eyes react.

The message to take away from this is the same as we’ve conveyed in the other emails we’ve sent.

The pupils can give you some insight into what a person’s feeling and whether they’re being truthful.

However, they can also lead you to a false positive.

Examine the pupils and see how they fit into the wider picture. Do this well, and you can close your deals fast; do this poorly, and you’ll miss out on seeing opportunities to close.